


Miss Business

by Vedrfolnir



Category: Frozen (2013), Princess and the Frog (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 06:39:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1295173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vedrfolnir/pseuds/Vedrfolnir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The LaBouff's new guest is unusual, exceedingly peculiar, and altogether quite impossible to describe. And blonde.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miss Business

Since the Prince of Maldonia came waltzing into New Orleans last month, Tiana fancied herself used to visiting royalty. She'd never met the man, but with the way Lottie talked her ears off about him, she might as well have. Prince Naveen: wealthy, handsome, with an eye for music and pretty women. And pretty men, if the whispers passed between some of Tiana's clientele were to be believed. But Tiana was no idle gossip. It didn't matter what or who the layabout prince decided to fritter away his time with; he was in and out of New Orleans as soon as Mardi Gras was over. He left Lottie and her dreams of becoming a princess behind, and after that, well, between warm beignets and warmer words and Lottie's wailing, Tiana didn't have it in her to spare him another thought. "He didn't deserve you anyway, Lottie," She told her, hands on her friend's shoulders, a sparkling tiara sitting on the bedside.

So, that was that for Prince Naveen, and when news came around about another royal coming to town, Tiana was relieved to see a queen on the front pages rather than a prince.

Queen Elsa of Arendelle. She was the very picture of poise; straight back, graceful arch of the neck, hands demurely folded, and a look of almost pinched discomfort. She didn't look much older than Tiana herself. Below the headline, her reasons for visiting weren't precisely detailed, but Tiana figured it had to be _something_ big to drag a queen all the way from the other side of the ocean. Trade partners, establishing foreign policy, or maybe she needed to marry and thought she might as well find a suitor here, in style. Tiana dismissed the thought. Queen Elsa didn't look much like the partying type. She was here for business.

But when Tiana showed the paper to Lottie, she disagreed. Maybe it was less urgent than all that, and all she was here for was a vacation. Tiana considered the queen's stiff, high collar, and loosened her own. Lottie clicked her tongue. "Sure looks like she needs it."

The austere Queen Elsa was no prince, but she was still royalty, so of course Lottie wanted to see her. Arrangements were made; like Prince Naveen before her, Queen Elsa would be staying at the LaBouff mansion as Big Daddy's personal guest, and Lottie all but insisted Tiana stay with them for a "princess party". "Ain't it been ages since we had one of those, Tia?" Lottie said. Instead of disappointing her, Tiana asked, "Is it really a 'princess' party if one of us is a queen?"

At least she had enough time before work to see Lottie to the docks. The next morning, they were right there at the front of the crowd, Tiana wide-awake and Lottie still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. When the Arendelle ship came in, all heavy oak and great white towers of sails, it was nothing like the steamboats Tiana used to watch chug up past the bayou, back when she still had time for such things. Actually, it was more than a little old-fashioned. Still, as it hit anchor and pulled onto the dock, there was a collective intake of breath in the moment until the rope bridge fell and the queen took her first step.

She carried herself with the same grace she did posing for the front page photograph. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, but Tiana couldn't help but wonder how much she was sweating underneath those heavy layers, like she'd dressed for a storm instead of the sweltering heat of New Orleans. Queen Elsa was careful not to let her discomfort show. But as soon as her attendant followed her off the boat and announced her as Queen Elsa of Arendelle, it was hard to miss the way she flinched as everyone took a step forward. The expression was gone before Tiana could blink, and she smiled, inviting a whole slew of questions and flashes from photographers' cameras for the next day's papers.

"Tia!" Lottie hissed, instantly awake and bouncing at Tiana's side. "We've gotta get closer before the poor dove's drownin' in reporters!" She yanked Tiana's arm with strength that she was always surprised Lottie possessed, and then, as they lurched forward, Lottie barely gave the queen a chance to say anything before looping her free arm in hers. "Y'ello there, Your Majesty!" She squealed. Queen Elsa's eyes had widened to the size of saucers. The poise gone, she looked completely out of her element. And maybe it was just because they were closer to the water, but it felt distinctly chillier up here.

Lottie's hip bumped against the other woman's. "I'm Charlotte LaBouff -- y'all can just call me Lottie -- and this here's my friend Tiana. I'm sure you've had a long trip all the way from Arendelle, so we're gonna see you over to the mansion now, that alright?"

"Y-Yes," The queen managed. Her gaze flickered to Tiana, blue eyes lingering on brown for a moment too long as they carried a silent plea; gently, Tiana pulled Lottie closer to her own side. "This way, Your Highness."

It wasn't easy to ferry the queen out of the crowd, but Lottie was a screaming pink bulldozer when it came to getting her way, so they plowed on through until they reached Big Daddy's white Packard. Tiana couldn't stay to see them back to the mansion, and couldn't visit the next day or the day after that; working two jobs and long shifts at both restaurants took up all of Tiana's time, and it usually meant that Lottie had to _make_ the time to come in as a customer if they wanted to see each other. She was there three days later, looking testy as she chomped down on her fifth beignet while waiting for Tiana to go on break. As soon as Tiana slid into the seat opposite her, she howled, "Tia, she _hates_ me! She don't talk to me or nothin'! What'm I doin' wrong?"

"Calm down, Lottie," Tiana soothed. "You talkin' about the queen, right? Tell me what happened, from the top."

Lottie wrung her hands. "Well, we brought Queen Elsa home to the mansion, like I said, right? She got her own room right next to mine, and we did it up all special. I even put some of my dresses in there in case she didn't bring enough -- or, yeah, the right kind, you saw the one she was wearing, real pretty but ain't the best in summer -- anyway, she was real grateful, but after that... she just spends _all_ her time in there. Don't even wanna go out none or tell me about her kingdom, or what it's like bein' a queen... she talks to Big Daddy, sure, but it's all borin' business stuff and -- do you think she don't like me?"

Her lip was quivering, and she was a second away from tears until Tiana took hold of her hands. "Lottie, I'm sure she don't hate you. Seems more that she's worryin' about her work, or she's just quietlike, keeps to herself and then some. Ain't nothing wrong with that."

"Funny, that reminds me of somebody," Lottie said with a sniffle, and Tiana tried to ignore the almost accusatory look in her eyes. But then, she brightened, and she flung herself over the table to grab Tiana's shoulders. "I got a great idea! Why don't y'all come talk to her? You two would get along like ducks in a pond!"

"W-What?" Tiana squeaked. "Lottie! I ain't got time for--"

"You're gonna _make_ time!" She declared. She reached back for her purse, slammed a wad of cash that looked like more than enough to cover two days' worth of pay, and then whirled around the booth to yank Tiana up and out of her seat. "If not today, then tomorrow! Ya hear me, Tia? You got more sick days saved up than I got fingers or toes, don't tell me ya don't!"

Hands shaking, Tiana held the bills close to her chest. She'd be lying if she said she didn't appreciate Lottie's generosity almost as much as her company. Every little bit towards her restaurant counted, and as freely as Lottie gave, well, she didn't have much of an excuse left to deny her this favor. Besides, it might be nice to relax in the LaBouff mansion again.

"Tomorrow?" She asked. Lottie smiled. "That's a promise on yer hands, Tia. Best keep it."


End file.
